Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Nutrition Studies Plagued By ‘Credibility Problem,’ Critics Say

A Cornell University food researcher's discredited work is symptomatic of a pervasive problem with food and health studies, according to a group of scientists, who say part of the problem stems from the need to publish often. In other public health news, there are reports on flu, twins, pregnancy, nursing homes, living donors, teen girls, anxiety, vaping and more.

The New York Times:
More Evidence That Nutrition Studies Don’t Always Add Up
Not too long ago, Brian Wansink was one of the most respected food researchers in America. He founded the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University, where he won attention for studies that showed that small behavioral changes could influence eating patterns. He found that large plates lead people to eat more food because they make portions look smaller and that children eat more vegetables when they have colorful names like “power peas.” (O'Connor, 9/29)

The Washington Post:
Studies Of Twins Look At The Roles Of Genes And Environment In Many Health Problems
Every August for the past 43 years, Twinsburg, Ohio, has hosted the biggest gathering of twins in the world. Two decades ago, organizers added an attraction to the lineup of parade, talent show and hot-dog dinner that drew more than 2,000 pairs this year: the chance to participate in research. Scientists vie for tent spots to test such things as twins’ exposure to the sun, their stroke risk and their taste preferences. “Every year we get more [research] requests than we can handle,” says Sandy Miller, a Twins Day Festival organizer and mother of 54-year-old twins. “We just don’t have room for all the scientists who want to come.” (9/28)

Stat:
Experts Call For More Research On Pregnant And Lactating Women
There’s very little research on whether medications are safe and effective in pregnant and lactating women, but an expert panel has ideas for how to close that information gap — and it’s calling on the federal government to take action in a new report that could stir change. The sweeping report is the product of more than a year of public meetings by a task force formed by Congress in 2016 to study why so few women can get reliable answers on medication use while pregnant and lactating. More than 6 million women are pregnant in the U.S. each year, and it’s estimated that more than 90 percent take at least one medication while pregnant or lactating. (Thielking, 10/1)

The New York Times:
In The Nursing Home, Empty Beds And Quiet Halls
For more than 40 years, Morningside Ministries operated a nursing home in San Antonio, caring for as many as 113 elderly residents. The facility, called Chandler Estate, added a small independent living building in the 1980s and an even smaller assisted living center in the 90s, all on the same four-acre campus. The whole complex stands empty now. Like many skilled nursing facilities in recent years, Chandler Estate had seen its occupancy rate drop. (Span, 9/28)

The New York Times:
The Confidence Gap For Girls: 5 Tips For Parents Of Tween And Teen Girls
The early weeks of a school year can rattle even the most self-assured kid — the swirl of new classes, teachers and tribes, and the pressure to try out new extracurriculars, sports and even personalities. Tween and teen girls face an added challenge because their confidence is already plummeting during those years. Of course, puberty is a turbulent time for confidence in both genders. But girls experience a much more significant, dramatic drop. (Shipman, Kay and Riley, 10/1)

The New York Times:
How To Help A Child With An Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety disorders, the most common mental health problems in children and adolescents, often go untreated while children suffer, even though there are effective treatments available, according to a new report on anxiety in children and adolescents from the Child Mind Institute in New York. Anxiety may be missed because it doesn’t necessarily declare itself with attention-getting disruptive behaviors; in fact, symptoms may keep some children quiet and inhibited, though in other children, alternatively, anxiety may be misunderstood as oppositional behavior. (Klass, 10/1)

Los Angeles Times:
In Need Of Life-Saving Surgery, He Was Promised Refuge In America. Just 15 Months Later, He Died — Still Waiting
Seid Moradi was elated when he found out his family had been approved to resettle in America. As non-Muslims who’d fled death threats in Iran, the family barely scraped by in Turkey. His sons had trouble finding work because of discrimination toward refugees. His wife picked through trash bins for food. And the family of six crammed into a friend’s apartment. Moradi’s case had a special urgency, however. He needed life-saving surgery for a bulging blood vessel by his heart. An American doctor, he was told, could perform the operation once he arrived in the U.S. (Kaleem and Etehad, 9/30)

The New York Times:
Texas Boy Speaks Clearly For First Time After Dentist Discovered He Was Tongue-Tied
For years, parents of a Texas boy believed he was mostly nonverbal because of a brain aneurysm he had when he was 10 days old. The boy, Mason Motz, 6, of Katy, Tex., started going to speech therapy when he was 1. In addition to his difficulties speaking, he was given a diagnosis of Sotos syndrome, a disorder that can cause learning disabilities or delayed development, according to the National Institutes of Health. (Garcia, 9/29)

Kaiser Health News:
Eat, Toke Or Vape: Teens Not Too Picky When It Comes To Pot’s Potpourri
There is no doubt that some high school students will try to get high. However, the ways they’re doing it might be changing. A survey of more than 3,000 10th-graders from 10 high schools in Los Angeles showed that while traditional combustible marijuana is still the most popular method, kids are turning to edible and vaporized weed, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open today. (Bluth, 9/28)

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